Steering mechanism for vehicles



w. L.' sP'ENcL, STEERING MECHANISM FOR VEHICLES. APPLICATION FILED IuIIE I6. |921.

s w.l L. SPENCE. STEERING MECHANISM FORAVEHICLES.

' APPLICATION FILED )UNE 16, 192| 1.-

Patented oen 18,

`2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

/NVENTOR /Kdc 0C MM ATTRME'Y UNlTED STATES WILFRID LAW'SON SPECE, OF EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND.

STEERINGMECHANSTII FOR VEHICLES.

Application filed lTune i6, i921. Serial No.

To ZZ 007mm t may concern.'

Be it lznoivn that l, lWntrnro Lawson SrnNCn, a subject ot' the King of England, residing' at Edinburgh, Scotland, have invented certain neiv and useful Improvements in Steering Mechanism tor Vehicles, (for ivhich I have filed an application in Eng'- land, April 12, 1920, Serial No. lO,1l5,) of which the following is a speciiication.

This invention relates to steeringT mechanism for vehicles, and it has tor its objects to avoid. the use of pivots, hinges, and the like for the. movable parts thereby minimizing Wear and backlash, and to inclose the operating gear in a lubricant chamber thereby to insure its effective lubrication and to screen it from dirt and moisture.

rEhe invention broadly comprises a rigid member or support, and-a member which is to be moved relatively thereto. having attached to it a pair ot spring' blades connected to an operating' mechanism in such manner that relatively to one another the spring blades move in opposite directions thereby causing a displacement ot the member which results in its being moved in a curved path about either side ot its mid position.

ln the accompanying drawings which illustrate the manner of carrying out the invention.

Figure l is a side elevation or" the mechanism as employed in conjunction with the steering pillar o'liav motor vehicle. the spring blade nearest to the observer being removed for` elearness, and the pillar being shoivn for convenience horizontally instead of inclined,

Fig. 2 is a sectional. plan ot Fig. l. shoiving themechanism in its middle or normal position,

Fig. is an end vieiv omitting tor clearncss the movable part to which the spring blades are attached,

Fig. 4l. is a diagrammatic plan with the mechanism in its extreme position upon one side ot its normal position, and

Figs. and G are diagrammatic plans showing a modification ot the device and its employment to operate the steerable Wheels updn the front axle or" av vehicle, one vieiv shoiving the Wheels in their mid position and the other locked over:

Like letters indicate likev parts throughout the drawings.

The steering pillar is indicated at A carrying at one end the steering Wheel (not Specification of Letters Patent.

.Patented Oct. 1S, 1921.

shown), and at the other end a combined right and leit handed screw A2, in which ttor convenience the threads are arranged to cross one another. Engaging With these threads are halt nuts B and C, one of which is right handed and the other lett handed, and these nuts are adapted, when actuated, to move eri-divise in opposite directions in a .casing` D of non-circular interior section,

(preferably square), 'forming a guide meinber in which the halt nuts are itted so that they cannotI rotate with the screw, but can inove, axially along it.

The. casing D is fixed to a stationary part, and is closed at its loiver end D2, but open at its upper end D, from which project extensions B and C2 ot the halt' nuts B and C. The respective ends ot these B3 and C3 on one side seat ou the steering pillar A and upon 'the opposite side receive and have attached to them by the setscreivs the ends oi spring blades B4, C4, which extend baclrwardly and freely through channels D2 in the casing D and some distance beyond it.4

for attachment, one on each side ot a nose piece constituting the member to be moved relatively to the rigid member here represented by the scr-env A?.

The attachment ot the spring blades to the nose piece is reinforced by means ot plates through Which the securing bolts C extend. A. lug- E2 is carried by the nose piece. and pierced at E3 by a hole through which the stem l? attached to a ball L 'foriniug part ot a ball and socket joint (not shown) can extend. The angle ot this lug E2 to the plane of flexure ot the spring blades B4. (lt in conjunction ivith the angle in ivhich the steering column inclosing the pillar A is set on the vehicle. is such that the ball stem is substantially vertical, and is adapted. when the spring blades B4. C4 are bent, to be moved in positions parallel to itself. It ivill be observed, that by reason ot the inclination ot the steering column when located on the vehicle, lubricant can be retained Within the ball socket and ivithin the casing D to surround the screiv A?. notwithstanding that its end is open.

The action of the gear will be readily seen from ak consideration ot the movements which 'take place when the steering Wheel is rotated. lt will be evident that as the nuts B and (l have threads which for one are lett handed and tor the other right handed.

they ivill be thrust by rotation ot the Screw in opposite directions Within the casing D, and thus one of the spring blades B4, C* Will receive a push and the other a pull, thereby causing the nose piece E to take up a position such as that shown in Fig. 4 on one or other side ol its mid-position, imparting to the ball L which it carries a movement to the right or left side of the vehicle, so that a draglink from this ball can be attached to the transverse coupling rod employed to connect the pair ot steerable Wheels i of the vehicle.

A thrust Washer A3 for the screiv A2 is provided Within the casing D and can be secured in place by making the end part D2 detachable and securing the latter in place by means of the studs D4.' On each side ofthe Washer A3 are rotatable thrust Wash-V ers A4, A.5 separated by a spacer ring AS slightly thicker than the thrust Washer A3 and located in the latters central aperture.

`When locked over to one side.

Thus the thrust Washers grip on the spacer ring, one bearing on a shoulder on the screiv A2, and thelatter being backed up by a circlip Washer A engaging in a groove A7 in the screiv. The latter may be made hollow as at A4c to increase the space for lubricant Within the casing D. The spring blades are strengthened by longitudinally corrugated plates CB-or other means Where required to be rigid in the channels D2, and

`Vt-he latter may be formed in the outer Walls VWays F3, (preferably constituted by antifriction rollers), for the spring blades G,

` which latter extend from the block H carry- Ying the stub axle of one wheel J to the corresponding block carrying the other. The portions 2 of the blades guided along the aXle are stiiily formed, or if desired may be separately formed and have the blades attached to them, the flexibleV portion G being l near to the Wheels, and upon the stiff por- V'to mesh respectively with a rack pinion K tions G2 are formed racli teeth G3 adapted operated in any convenient manner from the steering Vivheel, as :tor example by the lever K2 to which is attached the link K3.

As will be evident when the pinion E is rotated the spring blades upon one side ot the-Wheel axis are moved in one direction and those on the other side are moved in the opposite direct-ion, thereby causing them to bend near their attachment to the members carrying the Wheel axles, and thus to effect the steering action in the appropriate manner uponv both Wheels simultaneously.

lllhat l claim as my invention and Vdesire to secure by Letters' Patent ot the United States is Y l. ln steering mechanism for vehicles, the combination. of a rigid member, a member to be niovcdrelatively to the rigid member,V

a pair of spring blades vattached to said member to be moved, operating mechanism carried by said rigidmember and adapted to slide said spring blades relatively in opposite directions, andguides 'for said operating mechanism, substantially set forth.

Q'. ln steering mechanism for vehicles, thc combination ott a rigid member, a member to be moved relatively to the rigid member, a pair of spring blades. attached to said member to be moved, one onfeach side thereof, operating members 'for said spring blades, guides for said operating members adapted to guide them endvvise, and so located that between them and the member to be moved the blades, for a portion or' their length, are free to bend on each side or" a mean position, and means adapted to slide said` operating members relatively in opposite directions, substantially as set forth.

3. ln steering mechanism 'for vehicles, the combination ot Va rigid member, a'member to be moved relatively to the rigid member,

a pair of spring blades attached tosaid member to be moved, one on each side thereot, and tree to bend on each side `or' a mean position, a rotatable membercarrying tivo screws, one right handed and the other left handed, nut members attached to each spring blade to engage respectively said screws thereby to impart endivise movements to the spring blades in opposite directions, and guide members adapted to guide said nuts, substantially asset forth. Y

. 1l. ln steering mechanism for vehicles, the combination Vof a rigid member, a member to be moved relatively to the rigid member, a pair ot spring blades attached to said member to be moved, `one on each'side thereof, and free to bend on each side of a mean position, a rotatable member carrying two screws, one right handed and the other left handed, nut members attachedto each spring blade to engage respectively said screws,

a casing oi non-circular section forming aV guide member in which said nut members are adapted to slide non-rotatably, said-casing closed at its lower endy to form a lubriiio cant chamber, and extensions ot-said nuts Y projecting from the upper end oit said chamber for attachment to said 'spring blades, substantially as set forth.

5. ln steering mechanis'm'for vehicles, the

combination oit a rigid member, a member to be moved, comprising a nose piece carry-V ing thereon a ball member depending from a stem arranged substantially vertically relatively to the Vehicle, a pair of spring blades attached to said nose piece, one on each side thereof and free to bend on each side of a mean position, a rotatable member carryingr two screws, one right handed and the other left handed, nut members attached to each springv blade to engage respectively said screws, a easing of noncircular section forming a guide member in which said nut members are adapted to slide non-rotatably, said casing closed at its lower end to form a lubricant chamber, and extensions of said nuts progectlng from the upper end of said chamber for attachment to said spring 15 WILFRID LAWSON SPENCE.

Witnesses NORMAN VISHART, IVILLIAM JAMES lVIsI-IART. 

